An analysis of patient information leaflets supplied with medicines sold by pharmacists in the United Kingdom

Twomey, Cheryl An analysis of patient information leaflets supplied with medicines sold by pharmacists in the United Kingdom. Library & Information Research, 2001, vol. 25, n. 80, pp. 3-12. [Journal article (Paginated)]

[thumbnail of article80a.pdf]
Preview
PDF
article80a.pdf

Download (308kB) | Preview

English abstract

The primary aim of this exploratory study was to analyse the design factors contributing to the reading ease and comprehension of medicinal information leaflets. Good practice guidelines on general typography and layout were chosen from the literature and compared with European Commission guidelines on preparing package leaflets. The suitability of the guidelines for evaluating package inserts was investigated using leaflets accompanying thirteen different medicines available from pharmacies. With minor revision, the design recommendations were appropriate for developing over the counter medicinal leaflets. There was general agreement that simplicity is the key to good information design. It was concluded that the design of readable medicinal package inserts is a complex, process. Consumer participation is essential and advice from a professional designer highly desirable.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: information leaflets, typography, layout
Subjects: B. Information use and sociology of information > BC. Information in society.
Depositing user: Kristina Brown
Date deposited: 02 Mar 2005
Last modified: 02 Oct 2014 12:00
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/6022

References

Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (1990) ‘Patient information: advice on the drafting of leaflets’ in FO Wells (ed.) Medicines good practice guidelines, Belfast: Queen’s University

Basic Skills Agency (1999) Making reading easier, London: Basic Skills Agency (reprinted in 1999, BSA uncertain of original publication date)

Blenkinsopp A & Bradley C (1996) ‘Patients, society, and the increase in self medication’, British Medical Journal, 312 (March 9), 629-32

Bradley B, Singleton M & Li Wan Po A (1994) ‘Readability of patient information leaflets on over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 19, 7-15

Department of Health (1994) On the state of the public health. The annual report of the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health for the year 1993, London: HMSO

Department of Health (1995) On the state of the public health. The annual report of the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health for the year 1994, London: HMSO.

Department of Health (1996) On the state of the public health. The annual report of the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health for the year 1995, London: HMSO.

Department of Health (1997a) The new NHS, Cm 3807, London: The Stationery Office

Department of Health (1997b) On the state of the public health. The annual report of the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health for the year 1996, London: HMSO

Department of Health (1998) On the state of the public health. The annual report of the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health for the year 1997, London: Stationery Office

Department of Health (2000) The NHS Plan: a plan for investment, a plan for reform, Cm4818-I, London: Stationery Office

European Commission (1992) ‘Council Directive 92/27/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the labelling of medicinal products for human use and on package leaflets’, Official Journal of the European Communities, No. L, April 30, 113/8-12

European Commission (1998) A guideline on the readability of the label and package leaflet of medicinal products for human use (September 1998), Brussels: Pharmaceutical Committee, European Commission

Griffin JP & Griffin JR (1996) ‘Informing the patient’, Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 30 (2), 107-11

Hartley J (1994) Designing instructional text, London: Kogan Page (3rd ed.)

Hartley (1998) ‘Return to sender. Why written communications fail’, Psychologist, October, 477-80

Hartley J (1999) ‘ What does it say? Text design, medical information and older readers’, in DC Park, RW Morrell & K Shifrin (eds.) Processing of medical information in aging patients. Cognitive and human factors and perspectives, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum

Jaspert WP; Berry WT & Johnson AF (1970) Encyclopaedia of typefaces, London: Blandford Press (4th ed.)

Lawson D (1996) ‘Stringent safeguards for medicines classification’, in OTC Directory: treatments for common ailments 96/97, ii-iv

Medicines Control Agency (1997) Proposals to amend the prescription only medicines order (MLX 243, 23 December 1997), London: Medicines Control Agency

Medicines Control Agency (1998a) ‘Labelling and leaflet Directive 92/27/EEC: have you met the requirements?’, MAIL, No. 105, January/February, 4

Medicines Control Agency (1998b) Proposed amendments to the Prescription Only Medicines (human use) Order 1997 (MLX 244, 3 June 1998), London: Medicines Control Agency

National Information Forum (1996) How to provide information well, London: National Information Forum

Newton L; Newton D; Clark J; Kenny T; Moseley D; Purves I & Wilson R (1998) ‘Patient information leaflets: producing understandable PILs’, Journal of Information Science, 24 (3), 167-81

Orna E & Stevens G (1991) ‘Information design and information science: a new alliance?’, Journal of Information Science, 17, 197-208

Orna E & Stevens G (1995) Managing information for research, Buckingham: Open University Press.

Patient i (1997) ‘Simple is best, professor tells leaflet designers’,

Patient i, Issue 6, September, 10-1 Plain English Campaign. (1998).

Plain English from the Plain English Campaign [Online]. Available: http://www.plainenglishcampaign.com/ [1999, March 17] Library and Information Research News, 25(80), Autumn 2001, pp3-12

Raynor DK (1992) ‘Writing patient information – a pharmacist’s guide’, Pharmaceutical Journal, August 8, 180-2

Redish JC (1981) ‘Understanding the limitations of readability formulas’, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, PC-24 (1 March), 46-8

Royal National Institute for the Blind (1997), Clear print guidelines, London: RNIB

Stone L (1992) ‘Information to patients about medicines’, in FO Wells (ed.) Medicines: responsible prescribing, Belfast: Queen’s University.

V & M Typographic (1974) The type specimen book, Brooklyn, NY: V & M Typographic Inc.

Walker G (1999) ABPI Compendium of data sheets and summary of product characteristics 1999-2000, London: Datapharm.

Wong ICK (1999) ‘Readability of patient information leaflets on antiepileptic drugs in the UK’, Seizure, 8, 35-7.


Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item